The tsunami hit Japan today and we just want to let the world know that our thoughts are with you all. The impact of the earthquake (8.8 Richter) and the tsunami appears to be massive so based on this we saw it as important to show everyone how much we care.

Koushion (literally “grid sound” in Japanese) is a new kind of MIDI controller for your iPad. While it looks deceptively similar to a simple Tone Matrix, this is no toy. This video demonstration was completely improvised. The app will be available in the App Store on March 22.

* Includes a 16-step sequencer with a two-octave range.
* Wirelessly controls MIDI software for both Mac and PC.
* Syncs to any external MIDI clock source available to your computer so that the performance or production always stays synced.
* Plays eight scenes/banks individually, chained in succession, or simultaneously.
* Adjustable quantization.
* Switches easily to any major or minor key with the push of a button.
* Assigns each scene/bank to any MIDI channel to enable control multiple instruments at the same time.

Stereoklang got an exclusive interview with the legend in Swedish new wave, glam rock, and synth pop – Mr. Johan Kinde. The frontman behind the cult band Lustans Lakejer (in English it would be something like “the lackeys of lust”). LL has been around since the early 1980’s and their music has always dealt with the passions in life, at least from a male perspective; women, champagne, love, dreams, passion, forbidden fruit, but at the same time with a glimpse in the eye and you can sometime sense that there is a backside to the life of a playboy. Johan and LL has made a long list of classical songs over the years and even had collaborations with some of the members in the UK cult band Japan (Mick Karn and Richard Barbieri). Stereoklang wanted to catch up with Johan now that LL has a new album out and they are ready to hit the road again.

How has the new record been received and are you happy yourself with the result?

“Absolutely!!! The record has been receiving great reviews and has actually climbed to the highest position in the album charts relative to all previous LL albums. Now we are so eager to tour with the new album all across Sweden.”

The album for those of you have not heard it yet, is to us an album that takes LL back to its roots, with the synthesizers more in the front, a more electronic touch, but still flirting with sounds found on more recent works like Åkersberga for example.

“In a sense you can say that we really had this ambition from the start, to write more hip songs that are more immediate and perhaps shorter, kind of more fit to be synthesizer based. We wanted them to be more up-tempo songs with more bass sounds. We even had a version of the album that was even more “synthish” – kind of like LL meets Depeche Mode. The Swedish synth pop act SYSTEM even made a remix of the song “Eld och vatten”, it was almost as if Vince Clarke had been involved.” More over having Jenny Silver singing a duet with Johan almost gives it kind of a “Fade to grey” – kind of feeling.

“As I see it the synthesizers actually won the war over the rockers. Just listen to today´s music scene where synths are more important then ever – Lady Gaga just to name one, even though the traditional “synth music” became more of a niche scene. I think this partly because they just became carbon copies of bands like Depeche Mode – for that reason I found it more interesting when the electro wave came about.”

So what synthesizers can we find on the new album?

“It is a combination of hardware and software synths.” Johan let us know that he is not very much of a synthesizer guy at all, even though he sometimes gets the lust of acquiring some of them. On the new album, however, you will find the KORG Polysix on almost all of the songs (played live in the recording sessions), coupled with some vintage modular synths kindly supplied by P. Levin from System. The fact that Johan plays most of the instruments himself on the album (not being a true keyboard guy), synthesizers and guitars, gives the album a more natural feeling and not too perfect, a live feeling kind of.

The lyrics has always been a central piece in the works of LL, so we asked Johan for the real story behind the lyrics

The life of a romantic – is probably the best description you can give to the works of Johan and LL, but are they true stories or just dreams? “Most of it is actually self-experienced. Often people say that in the early days it was dreams, but now it is self-experienced, but the truth is more that in the early days I did experience the things I was writing in my lyrics, but PERHAPS I dressed it in words that made it sound better than it was ☺.

KORG US had finally become a hot topic in front of the site information “KRONOS” Take off that veil. KORG this year’s crowd was packed with exciting and unusual and just striving to be first to start the demonstration KORG booth at booth 12.

That should be it super-sized 8-inch TFT LCD (800 × 600 dots!) Of the touch interface and simple operation system KORG also true tradition. KORG yet from a nostalgic design so that a degree will really bring about an atmosphere of KRONOS. The reality is joined by KORG extremely high degree of perfection with the latest technology and boasts a number of synthesizer history, it was a new generation Wakusuteshonshinse.

It’s with profound sadness that we have to inform you that Mick finally lost his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully at 4.30pm today, 4th January 2011 at home in Chelsea, London. He was surrounded by his family and friends and will be deeply missed by all.

Japan performing Life In Tokyo at their last ever concert in Nagoya, Japan (16/12/1982).The lads are joined on stage by Sandii, John Punter and members of the road crew in a very light-hearted performance.
The quality is dreadful, but the atmosphere and historical value far outshines any other considerations…